U.S. Attorney General William Barr gave an unusual speech on February 6 that made the national security case for exactly how the United States should counter China on 5G, which promises to be the enabler of a host of futuristic technologies with deep military implications. General Barr warned that China has already “stolen a march” on the United States in 5G. Barr then called on the FCC to allow private industry to combine L-band for uplink with C-band in the mid-spectrum. Doing so, Barr said, would cut the time for U.S. 5G deployment from a decade to a mere 18 months. General Barr also outlined a plan to encourage U.S. private companies to acquire Nokia and Ericsson to make up for the U.S. lack of semiconductor manufacturers for 5G.
Attorney General Barr spoke in uncharacteristically urgent language about the “monumental danger” the nation will encounter if we don’t get 5G right. “Our economic future is at stake,” he said. “We have to bear in mind that, given the narrow window we face, the risk of losing the 5G struggle with China should vastly outweigh all other considerations.”
Lexington has posted his entire speech here for your consideration.
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